Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-19
CLOUDS on CLOUDS.
The Preparation In Europe for a Deadly
Clash of Arms.
Nnxr York


1t is evident that the whole of Europe
is preparing for deadly conflict of arms.
There is hardly possibility of peace be-
yond the spring. One can almost feel the
dreadful events before their time, just as
g veteran of the line becomes conscious
of impending battle. The heavy tramp of
troops on the evening preceding con-
tiict, the arrangement of the artillery, the
ominous distribution of ammunition, the
movement OF the wagons and the sick to
the rear, the marching and counter
marching OF cavalry, aud the hurrying Of
couriers to and fro, are signs which one
acquainted with war cannot mistake.
The military movements throughout
Europe are hardly less significant. In
spite of the surveillance over the press
and the telegraph and the extreme eau
ton of officials, IL is plain to the careful
observer that the hour of trial is close at
hand. The exact locality of the signal
gun whose boom will open the ball is
alone ID doubt. Our opinion is the sound
will first come from Eastern Europe
Russia realizes her opportunity, and she
rarely lets an opportunity slip. There
has been no occasion within the last 200
years when a chance for the tx
tension of that remarkable empire was
overlooked. Within that time a sturdy
youth, the heir to the throne and future
Gar, turning his back on the Injuries
and sensualities of court life, labored
with his own hands in the factories of
Holland and England, acquiring the me-
chanical arts, that he might return and
teach his barbarOus subjects how to con-
struct ships and TO manufacture arms.
Up to that time, his country had been
ravaged by enemies on every side. 1t
had been invaded and conquered by Swe-
den, reduced to state of slavery by the
Tarters, and held in subsection even by
the Poles. But this same stern and la
bOriOus youth, rising to maturity, beat
Charles MI. at Pultowa, and started his
empire on its unparalleled career of con-
quest and civilization. Indeed, within
less than a century it has conquered from
Sweden territory greater than what is
left CT that kingdom, has absorbed great
portion Of Turkey in Europe, and au area
from Turkey III Asia equal to the smaller
states of Germany, the Rhenish provinces
of Prussia, Belgium and Holland, a portion
of Persia as large as England, a part of
Tartary as large as any two European
nations combined; has advanced it's
frontier 1000 miles toward Vienna, 500
more in the direction of Berlin, Dresden
and Paris, 900 miles nearer Con-
stantinope and 1900 nearer India
This is the same country of which Lord
Bolingbroke said as late as 1876 that "its
history contains nothing which an Eng
fish statesman need acquire"
TIE present Car is Loyalty and indefat-
igably pursuing the programme mapped
out by Peter the Great. He is only exc
cutting the plans of his progenitor. SO
great has been his success and that of his
father that the new andhither to de pissed
empire is now the most ambitious and
dangerous force in Europe Austria is
trembling to-day because Of the massing
of Russian troops near her frontier, and
Germany watches with hardly less anxiety
the intrigues of the Russian court and
the movement Of the Russian cavalry lust
beyond her northern border. England
has, of course, been the chief obstruction
to Russian aggression in the east; but ss
soon as the clarion of battle sounds in
any part of Europe Russia will attempt
to oyerpower Austria, defy England and
seize ConStantinople.
While public attention is specially d.
rected to the threatened collision between
France and Germany, the world may at
any moment be startled by the boom of
Russian cannon in. the east, As critical
as the situation unquestionaOly is in
Western Europe, it is there that the war
cloud is darkest and most threatening.
When all these conditions are considered
it is clear that nothing short of miracle
can save the whole of Europe from con
fict to which history affords no parallel.